Facebook tests Suggested Businesses in Messenger app

Facebook has begun to recommend brands to consumers via its Messenger app. The move is part of the social network’s efforts to help businesses engage more easily with potential or existing consumers by prompting a chat conversation in Messenger.

It won’t be long now until Facebook’s developer conference opens next week and there have been various rumours about new features for eCommerce businesses and advertisers. As one such feature, the company has been reported to be adding mobile in-store payment options to Messenger shortly.

Suggested Businesses has been added beneath the search bar and suggested friends and people. So far, just a few businesses have been added for testing with US Messenger app users. These include Lyft, Chase and Sephora.

Companies are likely to be able to pay to rank in the top five Suggested Businesses.

Whilst Facebook did not yet comment on the added feature, it’s common for large Internet firms to test-run functionalities before officially announcing them.

It has also begun to integrate some features such as Uber into the platform, which mirrors what competitors WeChat and KakaoTalk have done.